Oh dear, I thought things were okay. Keep an eye on her tonight and see how she goes, I guess. Poor baby, it's not fair, is it? If the gums were red and inflamed it could be gum disease, but it is weird how they are changing from black to pink. Are they black just around the teeth or all over? Do you think this might be a problem related to the op? Is she on any medication that could be causing it? In pain? I'm just thinking if she's listless and her gum pigment is changing they could be related? I think you will unfortunately need to ask the vet, if only to put your mind at ease.

I'm sorry H, this is a horrible time for you.

xxx

Hi Helen

Even though you may think gawwed, there may be a time in an emergency that I may have to take one of the dogs back there, so if I write a complaint what will happen?

I can see the point of feeling that way, but if this was your local hospital then I'm sure you would complain about treatment or should I say lack of treatment received without thinking about what will happen next time if I require there services?

The first time, you complained and excepted there apologies assuming this to be a one off situation which is fair enough... But the same situation arises with another dog (which I assume that several years have gone by) which must indicate and flag warning signs, that there may not be proper cleaning/hygiene procedures in place to safe guard the welfare of animals in there care...

If you don't say anything if you are unfortunate to have to take one of the dogs to this vet for emergency treatment, this will only increase your stress at the minimum, but could cause further complication for your dog etc...

A polite, firm letter giving the facts of both visits with your two dogs... I would also include what you feel needs to be changed and brought in to rectify the matter (proper cleaning and hygiene practices or implementation that this is monitored etc) but if I was in your position, I would also ask for refund of at least the costs occurred after the main operation if not more...

Hope Zena is recovery well

Thanks Talassie, and yes, I can understand that about the tiredness, but tiredness is just that, not a young dog sulking and moping, not wanting to eat, not wanting to play, that's entirely different in my book. Run??? She's only done 10/15 mins walks, and I daren't even let her out in the garden coz she might go ballistic, so a run in the field is totally out of the question for the time being, until she's normal in herself, eating and playing again and the wound isn't so red. I know you're trying to put my mind at rest, and I do remember how bad Tala was at the time which I couldn't believe when she had only had the keyhole surgery, and I thought to myself then, oh gawd what am I in for her after a big spey!!! Thanks for trying, I'm going to keep a strict eye on her and that wound, and not worry too much if she isn't hungry, it's not the end of the world, and the vet did say to me, only worry when she misses 3 meals and not one! Thanks.xxx

Hi Lucky. The gums aren't red at all, not inflamed, but sometimes, when she's sitting there with her tongue hanging out, I think to myself, hang on, that colour isn't right in her mouth, but then I never looked back then, until today, when I saw all that black in there, all the insides of her flabby top lips, and right up to the back teeth, and then almost to the front teeth all just black!!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing, because if you remember that day when she collapsed on me out in the field, when I checked her gums they were all WHITE, so I know they are normally pink, with a bit of pigment, but nothing like I saw today! How come when I look an hour later, they've returned to PINK then??? It's so, so strange, I'm really gonna have to ask the vet, but tomorrow, I honestly can't take any more of them today! It doesn't seem to be a problem when I've researched on this, but it always points to a tooth problem, nothing more, which again makes me think is this why she isn't eating, but then again, how come she'd eat a tripe stick if I gave her one coz she keeps going to that blooming drawer out in the boot room! Lol! She's actually playful tonight, but then daddy's due home in a mo, so I've been playing with her, and tomorrow morning,now that Georgie has his new set of boots, I will take them up on the grassy fields, but keep her onlead and see if that perks her up a tad, coz it could be a bit of depression, as afterall, we normally lead such an active, and exciting life around here for any dog, and to be couped up with me all day long with only a couple of road walks, well, says it all really doesn't it!!!!!xxx xxxxxx

Hi JOnes, Many thanks for that input, and yes, I'm definitely going to write a stern and factual letter asking for answers as to why this happened. I won't rant on, it won't do any good, and as Losos has said, it would only put them on the defensive anyway, so much better to just be factual on both accounts, and ask them WHY my dogs were returned to me in such a stinking state! I need an answer anyway don't I. They'll probably tell me my dogs wet themselves, but perleeease, unless it was down to the aneasthetic, a young dog who has been crated at 10 weeks old and can hold her water for 9 hours at that age, can surely hold her water for THREE hours that they had her in there. Quite honestly, I think she was more distressed with the smell of herself in her nether regions, frantically trying to clean herself up, she wasn't at all interested in her actual wound and never has been since! Why was this smell ALL OVER her too!!! That's what I'd like to know!!! I strongly suspect the recovery room, has them churned out every 15 mins or so, and never botheres to change the bedding from one dog to the next until all the ops are finished, that's my take on it!!! Consequently, if one dog has messed, then the others get to lie on the same bedding!!! Grrrrr. NOt on is it, and I'll definitely be doing something about it! Thanks.xxx

Awww....hun, you've really been through the mill with poor darling Zena. Hope she's feeling better soon and you get to the bottom of it. Doesn't seem right at all that one minute she's ok and the next she isn't though. Big hugs xx

I appreciate your stance and admire your want to write to the RCVS, but Im afraid it will fall on deaf ears. My friends dog was literally killed with the Vets incompetence and still they did nothing.

If everyone took that stance though BD, and didn't complain because of their complaint falling on deaf ears, then nothing would ever improve.

It should never be a justification for not complaining.

I agree entirely, Im the first one to complain believe me, but the dog Im talking about died as a direct result of the Vet incompetence and the RCVS made every excuse possible to defend them, it was pathetic, but at the end of the day, they are the law as regards to mal practice and negligence within Vet surgeries, I just didnt want to get helena's hope up thats all.

Thanks Dawn, I'm gonna complain anyways, if only to my own vet hospital, at least there's a strong chance they might investigate their hygeine standards in that recovery room perhaps?! It's worth the effort on my part, even if I don't get an apology or an explaination, and as for money off, I would suspect there's no chance of that!

Absolutely complain, to them at least as you say. Tell them you intend to approach the local newspapers too!

Yup, you're quite right !! We have suffered exactly the same thing with the human medics ... they all clam together, protect themselves. However, behind the scenes things do change, arses are kicked. Thanks to us kicking up a huge amount of fuss over the years regarding our daughter when she was young, I am happy to say that our complaints bore some fruit for other children. It didn't help her, or us, but it is more than satisfying to see that other children are benefitting from the years of misery that we all went through, not to mention the considerable expense.

I would always advocate everybody to complain about any poor service that they have received from a public body, or a professional. Helena has got enough on her plate at the moment to worry about it I'm sure, but she has plenty of time to write her letter, within reason there will be no time limitation.